Do stocks count as investments on FAFSA? Confused about what to report

Yes, all stocks absolutely count as investments on the FAFSA. The form specifically asks for stocks, bonds, and mutual funds as part of your current investment net worth. Both your parents' $12,000 and your $1,500 should be reported. What DOESN'T count are things like: - Your family home (primary residence) - Retirement accounts (401k, IRA) - Small family businesses - Family farms that you live and work on But regular investment accounts, including any stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, etc. need to be included. Report them at their current market value on the day you're filling out the form.

report everything just report everything dont try to hide anything or theyll make you verify later and thats a huge pain trust me

I HATE this part of FAFSA!! When I was doing mine last year I was so confused too. What's really annoying is that they make you report all your assets but then they don't even tell you how they're using that info to calculate your aid. I ended up reporting my stocks (about $3k worth) and still got decent aid, but I know someone who didn't report their crypto and got flagged for verification. Such a pain!!

Financial aid advisor here. Yes, all publicly traded stocks must be reported on the FAFSA as part of your current investments. This includes: - Individual stocks (like those in your Robinhood account) - Stock mutual funds - ETFs - REITs - Cryptocurrency (yes, this counts too) The student reports their investments separately from parent investments. So your $1,500 Robinhood account goes on your section, and your parents' $12,000 in stocks goes on their section. What they're excluding with the "home equity" mention is the value of your primary residence. Investment properties would count, but not the home you live in. Retirement accounts (401k, IRAs) also don't count. The SAI (Student Aid Index) formula does provide some asset protection allowance for parents based on their age, but student assets are assessed more heavily, so keeping investments in the parents' names is generally more favorable.

my brother didn't report his stocks last year because they had gone down in value and he thought they weren't worth mentioning and he got his SAI increased after verification which meant less aid so definitely report all stocks

I've been trying to call the Federal Student Aid helpline for THREE DAYS about this exact question and can't get through to anyone. The wait times are ridiculous and I keep getting disconnected. Has anyone found a better way to reach them?

To answer your original question more specifically: Yes, you need to report both the $12,000 your parents have in stocks and your $1,500 Robinhood account. The FAFSA distinguishes between parent and student assets, and student assets are weighted more heavily in the SAI calculation (20% for student assets vs around 5.64% for parent assets). Also, make sure you're using the current market value of the stocks on the day you complete the FAFSA, not what they were worth when purchased or at some other point.

I'm so frustrated with how FAFSA handles investments. When I applied last year, my parents had to cash out some stocks to pay for home repairs RIGHT AFTER I submitted my FAFSA. So all that money counted against us even though it was spent on necessary repairs a week later! Doesn't seem fair that it's just a snapshot of one specific day.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I'm going to report both my Robinhood account and my parents' stocks on the FAFSA. I'll also include my cryptocurrency. Better to be accurate and avoid verification issues later. Really appreciate all your insights!

Just wanted to add that if you're using a platform like Robinhood, you can usually find your account value by logging in and checking your portfolio summary. Same goes for other investment apps - they typically show your total account value right on the main dashboard. Make sure to check this on the actual day you're filling out the FAFSA since stock prices fluctuate daily. Also, don't forget about any dividends that might be sitting in cash in your account - those count as part of your investment assets too!

One thing I'd add is to make sure you're consistent with how you value your investments across different sections of the FAFSA. I made the mistake of using closing prices from different days for my parents' stocks versus my own, and it created a small discrepancy that raised questions during verification. Now I always use the same date (the day I'm actually filling out the form) and the same source for market values. Yahoo Finance or your broker's website both work fine, just pick one and stick with it for all your investments. Also, if you have any stocks that are temporarily suspended from trading or penny stocks that are hard to value, you might want to call the Federal Student Aid helpline for guidance on how to report those specifically.

I had a similar situation when I was filling out my FAFSA! One thing that helped me was keeping a simple spreadsheet with all my investment accounts and their values on the day I filed. I included my Robinhood account, some ETFs my parents had, and even a small amount of crypto. The key thing I learned is that the FAFSA wants a snapshot of your assets on that specific day, so don't stress too much about daily fluctuations. Just be honest and thorough. Also, if you're worried about how these investments might affect your aid, remember that the first $10,000 or so of parent assets are usually protected anyway due to the asset protection allowance. For students it's different, but with only $1,500 in your Robinhood account, the impact on your SAI will be pretty minimal. You're doing the right thing by asking these questions upfront rather than guessing!

Just want to echo what others have said - definitely report all your stocks! I went through this same confusion last year. One thing that really helped me was using the FAFSA's built-in help text (the little question mark icons) when I wasn't sure about specific items. For your situation specifically: your parents' $12k in stocks goes in the parent investment section, and your $1,500 Robinhood account goes in the student investment section. Don't forget to include any cash sitting in those accounts waiting to be invested too! Also, pro tip: if you're still unsure about anything after reading all these great responses, your school's financial aid office can usually walk you through the investment reporting section over the phone or in person. They've seen it all and are super helpful with these kinds of questions. Much easier than trying to get through to the federal helpline!

I went through this exact same situation last year! Yes, you absolutely need to report both your parents' $12,000 in stocks and your $1,500 Robinhood account. They go in separate sections - parent investments and student investments respectively. A few practical tips that helped me: - Log into all your investment accounts on the same day you're filing the FAFSA to get current values - Screenshot your account balances as proof in case you get selected for verification later - Don't forget about any cash dividends sitting uninvested in your accounts - Include crypto too if you have any (saw you mentioned Bitcoin in another comment) The good news is that with the amounts you're talking about, the impact on your aid won't be huge. Parent assets are assessed at a much lower rate than student assets, and there's an asset protection allowance that shields some parent assets anyway. Your $1,500 student account will have more impact percentage-wise, but it's still a relatively small amount. Better to report everything accurately now than deal with verification headaches later. You've got this!

As someone who just went through this process a few months ago, I can confirm what everyone else is saying - yes, you definitely need to report all stocks on the FAFSA! I was in almost the exact same situation with a small investment account and my parents having some stocks too. One thing I learned that might help you: make sure you understand the difference between "investments" and "savings" on the FAFSA. Regular savings accounts go in the cash/savings section, but anything in a brokerage account (like your Robinhood stocks) goes in the investments section, even if some of that money is just sitting as cash waiting to be invested. Also, don't stress too much about the exact dollar amounts since stock prices change daily. The FAFSA just wants a reasonable snapshot of your assets on the day you file. I took screenshots of all my account values and kept them in a folder just in case I needed them for verification later. The whole process seemed way scarier before I actually did it, but once you start filling it out section by section, it's pretty straightforward. You're asking all the right questions and being thorough, which is exactly what you want to do. Good luck with your FAFSA!

I went through this exact same confusion when I was filing my FAFSA! The investment section can definitely be overwhelming at first. Just to add to all the great advice already given here - one thing that really helped me was understanding that the FAFSA is looking for your "net worth" of investments, which means you can subtract any money you owe on those investments (like if you bought stocks on margin). For most people with regular brokerage accounts like Robinhood, this isn't relevant since you're not borrowing money to buy stocks, but it's worth knowing. Also, if you have any investments that lost money and are now worth less than what you paid for them, you still report the current market value, not what you originally paid. The fact that you're being so careful about this shows you're taking it seriously, which is great! The amounts you mentioned ($12k for parents, $1.5k for you) are pretty typical for families filling out FAFSA, so you're definitely not alone in having to navigate this section. Just remember to be consistent with your valuation date across all accounts and you'll be fine!

Hey Dylan! Just wanted to jump in and say you're absolutely doing the right thing by asking these questions upfront. I made the mistake of being too casual about the investment section when I first filed my FAFSA a couple years ago and ended up having to go through verification, which was a huge hassle. From what I learned through that experience and from reading all these great responses, here's my take: definitely report everything - your $1,500 Robinhood account, your parents' $12k in stocks, and yes, even that Bitcoin you mentioned. The FAFSA really does want a complete picture of your family's financial situation. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier is that you can always contact your school's financial aid office after you get your initial aid package if you feel like your investments unfairly impacted your eligibility. They have some flexibility to make adjustments, especially if there are special circumstances. Also, keep in mind that having some investments doesn't automatically disqualify you from aid - the formulas are pretty complex and take a lot of factors into account. I know plenty of people with similar investment amounts who still received substantial financial aid. You've got this! The fact that you're being so thorough now will save you headaches later.